There is so much to say about this book that I don’t even know where to start.

I stumbled upon Allie Brosh’s blog in 2011. The first article I read was “Wolves.” It was a story of when she was six and a group of her friends terrorized the teenage boy assigned to watch them at a birthday party by reenacting a documentary they saw on the hunting tactics of wolves.

I was instantly hooked. It was the funniest, quirkiest, most clever thing I had ever read. And it only got funnier.

As soon as I got home, I had my husband read my favorite (everyone’s favorite), “The God of Cake.” He laughed so hard, I thought he was going to pass out and I’d have to give him mouth-to-mouth.

When Allie Brosh announced that Hyperbole and a Half was picked up by a publishing company and would become a book, I felt like the universe was giving me a gift. It was the most excited I’ve ever been about a book release.

Every time I tell people about Hyperbole and a Half (and honestly, Allie Brosh ought to hire me as an advertiser for all the times I’ve raved to people about it), they’re always skeptical of the art. I dunno, I guess they think it’s too simple or something?

The Wolves

I absolutely love it. First off, I’m a big fan of simplicity (example: the Pigeon books). It amazes me how much artists are able to convey with so little drawing.

But this particular medium makes images amusing in a totally unique way, transforming an already-funny story into a roll-on-the-floor laughing cartoon.

Allie actually spends four hours on each drawing to get it exactly right, so the characters have a perfect expression on every page.

If the humor isn’t enough to hook you, Allie Brosh is also a mental illness awareness advocate. Several stories illustrate the difficulties of depression. I am also a depression survivor, and I can testify that everything she says about it is spot on.

​So, if you want to learn more about depression and laugh at the same time – without feeling weird about laughing at depression – I highly recommend this book.